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Jam Master Jay’s Killers Have Been Convicted

Jam Master Jay’s Killers Have Been Convicted

In a breaking story, this afternoon (February 27), a Brooklyn, New York jury has convicted two men for the murder of Hip-Hop legend Jam Master Jay (aka Jason Mizell). Karl Jordan, Jr. and Ronald Washington are the two men the court deemed responsible for the murder of the Run-D.M.C. co-founder... Read more
February 27, 2024 News, Trending Stories
KRS-One Has Received The Greatest Award Of His Life

KRS-One Has Received The Greatest Award Of His Life

On Sunday (February 5), the 65th annual Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles, California. There, artists including Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Pusha-T, Future, Gunna, and Doja Cat will compete in the four Rap categories, as K-Dot hopes to win his first "Album Of The Year" category for Mr. Morale & The... Read more
February 2, 2023 Fresh, News, Video
Big L Gets Harlem Street Named In His Honor

Big L Gets Harlem Street Named In His Honor

Forty-eight years ago this month (May 30, 1974), Lamont Coleman was born. By the 1990s, known as Big L, Coleman became one of Hip-Hop's more respected lyricists, thanks to appearances on Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito's radio show freestyles, feature work, and his 1995 Columbia/Sony Records debut, Lifestylez ov da Poor... Read more
May 28, 2022 News
Nas’ Directorial Debut Celebrates Video Music Box

Nas’ Directorial Debut Celebrates Video Music Box

Tomorrow (December 3), Nas will make his directorial debut with You're Watching Video Music Box. The Showtime documentary, produced by Mass Appeal, celebrates the show created by "Uncle" Ralph McDaniels that initially aired on New York City's WNYC-TV channel. A Queens native, McDaniels launched the show in 1983 and featured music... Read more
December 2, 2021 TV/Film, Video
The Hip-Hop Museum Is A Reality Thanks To $3.5 Million From New York

The Hip-Hop Museum Is A Reality Thanks To $3.5 Million From New York

For years, there has been a drive to make the Universal Hip-Hop Museum a reality. New, the Empire State is providing some significant seven-figure funding to give the Bronx, New York a place where Hip-Hop Heads can celebrate the culture's origins and heritage. On Thursday (December 19), New York Governor... Read more
December 22, 2019 Fresh, News
Tekashi 6ix9ine Is Expected To Be Released From Prison In 2020

Tekashi 6ix9ine Is Expected To Be Released From Prison In 2020

Brooklyn, New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was sentenced today (December 18) in a Manhattan federal court. Moments ago (December 18), Judge Paul Engel sentenced the artist to two years behind bars for multiple charges, including racketeering, firearms offenses, drug possession, and drug trafficking, as well as conspiracy. Per TMZ, Tekashi's... Read more
December 18, 2019 News
DJ Eclipse Discusses The Legacy Of Fat Beats On Its 25th Anniversary

DJ Eclipse Discusses The Legacy Of Fat Beats On Its 25th Anniversary

This coming Sunday (July 14) Fat Beats Records will celebrate its 25th-anniversary with a special New York City concert. In many ways, the Sony Hall event is a homecoming and a deserving pause for recognition to a keystone in Hip-Hop's independent movement. Non-Phixion, The Juggaknots, The X-Ecutioners' Rob Swift & Mista... Read more
July 10, 2019 Exclusive, Video
Spread Love The Brooklyn Way. A Street Is Named After Biggie Smalls (Video)

Spread Love The Brooklyn Way. A Street Is Named After Biggie Smalls (Video)

Just over 47 years ago, on May 21, 1972, Christopher Wallace was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. As a youth, Wallace was raised by his mother, Voletta, a preschool teacher, at 226 St. James Place in Clinton Hill. From his booming stage entrance during a pivotal... Read more
June 10, 2019 News, Video
Wu-Tang Clan Now Has A District Named After It In Staten Island

Wu-Tang Clan Now Has A District Named After It In Staten Island

Yesterday (May 4), part of the Park Hill section of Staten Island, New York was officially renamed the "Wu-Tang Clan District." The rechristening is in honor of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late O.D.B. Meth', Raekwon, Ghostface, and U-God are some... Read more
May 5, 2019 News, Video
Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five Film Trailer Shows The Pain Of Injustice (Video)

Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five Film Trailer Shows The Pain Of Injustice (Video)

Ava DuVernay famously recreated the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches and brought them to life for "Best Picture"-nominated film 50 years later. Selma portrayed the committed fight for civil rights in a way that was real, human, and palpable to the modern issues—beyond most textbooks. The Lynwood, California native next took... Read more
April 20, 2019 TV/Film, Video
Mike Tyson Recalls The Time He Bribed A Cop With His Car (Video)

Mike Tyson Recalls The Time He Bribed A Cop With His Car (Video)

In late 2017, Ed Lover shared a captivating Mike Tyson story wherein the champ gave him a Bentley Azure after a wild night of New York City partying. The only catch was, the former Yo! MTV Raps host and C'mon Son Podcast creator says that he was unaware that the gesture... Read more
March 1, 2019 Throwback, Video
Ever See This ’91 Cypher With Leaders Of The New School, Biz Markie & More? (Video)

Ever See This ’91 Cypher With Leaders Of The New School, Biz Markie & More? (Video)

At the top of the 1990s, many Hip-Hop artists were coming together in the name of peace, unity, love, understanding, and having fun. Collectives like the Native Tongues and Diggin' In The Crates (which was not even minted yet) earned the respect of the pioneers by keeping alive the 1970s... Read more
January 28, 2019 Throwback
30 Years Ago, The Source Set A New Standard For Hip-Hop Journalism

30 Years Ago, The Source Set A New Standard For Hip-Hop Journalism

This week, Hip-Hop culture is celebrating its 45th anniversary. The first documented South Bronx rec room party with DJ Kool Herc behind the wheels of steel was on August 11, 1973. Like the origins of the culture, that event's significance would live by word of mouth if Hip-Hop had no... Read more
August 9, 2018 Do Remember, Video
Jay Smooth, Host Of NYC’s Longest-Running Hip-Hop Radio Show, Resigns In Protest

Jay Smooth, Host Of NYC’s Longest-Running Hip-Hop Radio Show, Resigns In Protest

Jay Smooth, host and DJ of The Underground Railroad, the longest-running Hip-Hop radio program in New York, has announced that he is resigning from his post. The show runs on the non-commercial WBAI-FM station. Smooth's resignation is a direct protest of WBAI's recent hiring of Leonard Lopate, a former show... Read more
July 20, 2018 News
Kid Capri Explains Why He Has Beef With Funkmaster Flex (Video)

Kid Capri Explains Why He Has Beef With Funkmaster Flex (Video)

Two of the most recognized names in DJ'ing, especially for those in and around the New York City area, are currently beefing. For those following social media, mixtape legend Kid Capri has minced no words in his opinions of Funkmaster Flex. Both men, who each claim Bronx, New York as... Read more
July 9, 2018 Fresh, News, Video
DJ Premier Postpones “PRhyme 2” Tour Dates To Care For His Father

DJ Premier Postpones “PRhyme 2” Tour Dates To Care For His Father

DJ Premier has revealed that he and Royce Da 5'9, his partner in PRhyme, must prematurely postpone the remainder of their PRhyme 2 Tour due to his father's declining health. The Gang Starr member released the following statement to fans, as told to Ambrosia For Heads: "Throughout the duration of my... Read more
June 4, 2018 News
Finding The GOAT Group: Boogie Down Productions vs. Ultramagnetic MC’s. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: Boogie Down Productions vs. Ultramagnetic MC’s. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more
May 21, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
Finding The GOAT Group: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five vs. Whodini. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five vs. Whodini. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more
May 2, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
This Fast-Paced Documentary On 1977 NYC Shows Hip-Hop’s Playground (Video)

This Fast-Paced Documentary On 1977 NYC Shows Hip-Hop’s Playground (Video)

From The Get Down to The Deuce, 1970s New York City has become a recent beacon of pop culture inspiration. At the time, the Big Apple seemed defined by countercultures. Within the five boroughs, politics, sex, crime, and the fight for equal rights would help shape critical advancements in music,... Read more
February 18, 2018 Throwback, TV, TV/Film, Video
An New Video Shows The Rise Of The Soulquarians & Why Things Fell Apart

An New Video Shows The Rise Of The Soulquarians & Why Things Fell Apart

During the week of special engagements leading up to last Sunday's Grammy Awards, The Roots held a four-day residency at The Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. During the day, the three-time Grammy-winners programmed events that included the first live taping of Questlove Supreme with guest Common, as well as a Black... Read more
January 30, 2018 Throwback, Video
Nas Receives Spotlight Award From The New York City Mayor’s Office

Nas Receives Spotlight Award From The New York City Mayor’s Office

On his legendary debut album Illmatic, Nas told listeners that "nothing's equivalent to the New York state of mind." The city has played a background in Nasir Jones' lyrics for more than 25 years, and the skyline of his Queensbridge neighborhood and greater New York City has been on some... Read more
January 27, 2018 News
Black Thought Is A Triple Threat. He Acts As Well As He Raps.

Black Thought Is A Triple Threat. He Acts As Well As He Raps.

"I feel like whether acting or making music or visual arts or fashion, I feel like you're sort of using the same muscles, with emphasis on different elements at different times," Black Thought tells Ambrosia For Heads. It's the day after his birthday, and the man who always seems to introduce... Read more
October 12, 2017 Exclusive, Interview, TV, TV/Film
This ’96 Freestyle From Tribe, Busta, The Roots & More Packs Lines That Truly Punch (Audio)

This ’96 Freestyle From Tribe, Busta, The Roots & More Packs Lines That Truly Punch (Audio)

The City of Brotherly Love has undoubtedly produced some of Hip-Hop's best MCs to ever grip the mic, and equally, some of the greatest DJs to touch the turntables. Legendary Philadelphia DJ Cash Money has an extensive resumé with memorable mixtapes to prove the latter. After making seminal 1980s 12"... Read more
September 21, 2017 Do Remember
Weldon Irvine Influenced Black Star, KRS-One, JAY-Z, Common & Q-Tip. His Story Is Being Told (Video)

Weldon Irvine Influenced Black Star, KRS-One, JAY-Z, Common & Q-Tip. His Story Is Being Told (Video)

Best-known perhaps as the songwriter of the unofficial Civil Rights anthem, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (popularized by Nina Simone), the late Weldon Irvine bridged the generations as a key mentor and collaborator to Hip-Hop icons during the '90s and beyond. Guru, Roy Ayers, & Donald Byrd Brought Jazzmatazz... Read more
August 29, 2017 TV/Film, Video
Kool G Rap, Lil Fame & Freeway Are Wise Guys On And Off The Mic (Video)

Kool G Rap, Lil Fame & Freeway Are Wise Guys On And Off The Mic (Video)

Since 1986, Kool G Rap has stuck to his guns as a trailblazer of East Coast Gangsta Rap and a paragon of lyricism. His cinematic portrayals and trenchant analysis of New York City street life made his longtime fans keep tabs on his newest offerings from the lab. Kool G... Read more
August 25, 2017 Exclusive, Ready Or Not, Video
DJ Premier Says It’s Still Possible He Will Release The Final Gang Starr Album (Video)

DJ Premier Says It’s Still Possible He Will Release The Final Gang Starr Album (Video)

In one of the busiest seasons in his career, DJ Premier appeared before a studio audience to discuss more than 30 years of music. Earlier this month, the member of Gang Starr, PRhyme, and The Badder Band sat with Genius' Rob Markman (and Letty Martinez) to discuss his truly marvelous... Read more
August 22, 2017 Video
One Train Operator Gives New Meaning To “South Bronx Subway Rap” (Video)

One Train Operator Gives New Meaning To “South Bronx Subway Rap” (Video)

In the film soundtrack to Wild Style, Cold Crush Brothers MC Grandmaster Caz famously spit the "South Bronx Rap." That classic track was later used for Nas' Illmatic intro and countless other places. While much has changed in New York City since the early 1980s, the relationship between subway trains... Read more
August 8, 2017 Video
40 Years Ago A New York City Blackout Turned Up The Power On Hip-Hop (Video)

40 Years Ago A New York City Blackout Turned Up The Power On Hip-Hop (Video)

Thursday (July 13) marks the 40th anniversary of New York City's infamous 1977 electricity blackout. This was a pivotal moment in Hip-Hop history which ignited a surge in the formation of DJs and Rap crews throughout the genre's birthplace. Wonder What A 1977 New York City Park Jam Sounded Like?... Read more
July 13, 2017 Do Remember
The Wire Creator’s Next Series Takes A Bite Out Of The Rotten Apple (Video)

The Wire Creator’s Next Series Takes A Bite Out Of The Rotten Apple (Video)

Writer/director David Simon has been praised for portraying authentic environments. With The Wire, he transported millions of living-rooms to a Baltimore, Maryland grid they may never otherwise see, let alone understand. Treme carefully delved into post-Katrina New Orleans, and Generation Kill retraced the steps in the Invasion of Iraq. What If... Read more
July 11, 2017 TV, TV/Film, Video
Developers Who Destroyed A Graffiti Landmark Aim To Use Its Heritage In Their Redesign

Developers Who Destroyed A Graffiti Landmark Aim To Use Its Heritage In Their Redesign

Queens, New York's 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center was a Hip-Hop landmark that endured for decades. Dubbed "The Institute Of Higher Burning," the Long Island City art space was home to a living shrine of graffiti. Curated by writer Meres One (aka Jonathan Cohen), the five-story warehouse building built in 1892... Read more
May 29, 2017 Lifestyle
Nas Dusts Off A Gil Scott-Heron Sample For A Nasty Look At Addiction (Audio)

Nas Dusts Off A Gil Scott-Heron Sample For A Nasty Look At Addiction (Audio)

Nas is an executive producer (and rhyme-writer) on the series, The Get Down. Set in the 1970s Bronx, the show looks at the earliest days of Hip-Hop music and culture, and the circumstances around its creation. While DJ'ing, MC'ing, breakin', and graffiti are colorful forms of expression, crime, drugs, and... Read more
April 11, 2017 Audio, The Bridge
Main Source Are Joined By Pete Rock, Just Blaze & More For Their 25-Year Reunion (Video)

Main Source Are Joined By Pete Rock, Just Blaze & More For Their 25-Year Reunion (Video)

Last week (February 1), the founding three members of Hip-Hop group Main Source performed together for the first time in more than 25 years. Large Professor, as well as John Browne high school classmate,  K-Cut, plus guest DJ Rashad Smith (of Bad Boy Records fame) blessed Lower Manhattan's S.O.B.'s stages... Read more
February 8, 2017 Video
Main Source Will Perform Together For The First Time In 25 Years

Main Source Will Perform Together For The First Time In 25 Years

It has been nearly 25 years since Large Professor left Main Source. In that time, the Queens, New York MC/producer/DJ has not worked with his breakthrough group, consisting of Toronto, Ontario brothers, K-Cut and Sir Scratch. That will be changing, as the Wild Pitch Records trio announced its first show... Read more
January 19, 2017 News
Taxstone Arrested After DNA Discovered On Weapon In Troy Ave Shooting

Taxstone Arrested After DNA Discovered On Weapon In Troy Ave Shooting

Last May 25, Ronald "Banga" McPhatter was killed backstage at New York City's Irving Plaza. The fatal incident took place during a concert headlined by T.I. Troy Ave, one of the guest performers (along with Anderson .Paak, Maino, and Uncle Murda) and a close friend and reported employer of McPhatter,... Read more
January 17, 2017 News
A New Book Details The Rich Hip-Hop History Of NYC’s Latin Quarter Club

A New Book Details The Rich Hip-Hop History Of NYC’s Latin Quarter Club

In No Half Steppin': An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop's Golden Era, legendary musician, archivist, and activist Claude "Paradise" Gray shares over 175 color photographs and flyers. Along with Giuseppe "u.net" Pipitone, Paradise has provided scholars of Hip-Hop... Read more
November 15, 2016 Food for Thought, Lifestyle
Common Is A Rap Pharaoh Building Pyramids Of Empowerment, With Words (Video)

Common Is A Rap Pharaoh Building Pyramids Of Empowerment, With Words (Video)

One week ago today, Common released his 11th album, Black America Again. The LP had many a la carte looks before its release. "Pyramids" was a highlight. Produced by Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper, the track is one of several with reverberating lyrics about the modern day Black experience, the... Read more
November 11, 2016 Video
15 Years Later, J-Live Reflects On His Gripping 9/11 Commentary On “Satisfied”

15 Years Later, J-Live Reflects On His Gripping 9/11 Commentary On “Satisfied”

Today marks the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Within hours 2,996 people lost their lives that tragic day, as a result of four plane hijackings and subsequent crashes in New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. For all who lived through it, the events and their impact continue... Read more
September 11, 2016 Throwback, Throwback
This 1977 NYC Party Mix Shows How The Earliest Hip-Hop Parties Sounded (Audio)

This 1977 NYC Party Mix Shows How The Earliest Hip-Hop Parties Sounded (Audio)

Thanks to the series "The Get Down," many are newly fascinated with 1970s New York City and the genesis of Hip-Hop. DJ'ing, rapping, graffiti, and breakin' came together harmoniously in an overall form of expression that reflected the complexities of city-dwelling at a specific time in fashion, music, visual art,... Read more
August 20, 2016 Mixes, Throwback, Throwback
Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, Bahamadia Headline 39th Annual Rocksteady Anniversary

Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, Bahamadia Headline 39th Annual Rocksteady Anniversary

For the 39th year, New York City and neighboring Hip-Hop fans will be treated to a free concert—headlined by legends. Sunday (July 31) Central Park's Summer Stage will play host to the Rocksteady Crew Anniversary concert. This year's event will be headlined by Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, and... Read more
July 29, 2016 Fresh
A Giant Wall May Be the Only Way to Save New York City from Climate Change

A Giant Wall May Be the Only Way to Save New York City from Climate Change

New York City could be under a foot of water as soon as 2030.While that may not sound like a lot, the prospect of such a drastic change in sea level surrounding a city built on a series of islands is indeed scary. The birthplace of Hip-Hop is home to... Read more
July 5, 2016 Lifestyle
Cam’ron & New York’s Subway B-Boys Dazzle in a Video That Redefines Creativity (Video)

Cam’ron & New York’s Subway B-Boys Dazzle in a Video That Redefines Creativity (Video)

Perhaps the only thing more ubiquitous in New York City than the subways are the subway performers who use the time between station stops to amaze the crowd - or at least attempt to - with music, poetry, speeches, or dance. There has developed a microcosm in the subway dance... Read more
March 11, 2016 Video
Your Old Droog Transforms Into A B-Boy “Elmo” In This Quirky NYC-Inspired Video

Your Old Droog Transforms Into A B-Boy “Elmo” In This Quirky NYC-Inspired Video

Your Old Droog took his recently-released single "42 (Forty Deuce)" and made the best possible video. The Brooklyn, New York MC hit the very 42nd Street Times Square that inspired the Nu Shooz-sampling song, and recreated some vibes from the epicenter of mainstream Manhattan. The video features the old fashioned... Read more
February 2, 2016 Video
Kanye West Aims To Go Swish In Madison Square Garden On Release Day

Kanye West Aims To Go Swish In Madison Square Garden On Release Day

If anybody knows how to make an album release an event, it is Kanye West. 2011's Watch The Throne would be the "leak-proof" album during the perceived zenith of online bootlegging. Two years later, Yeezus would be played, in part, with projected video footage on buildings across the globe. For... Read more
January 26, 2016 News
Two 1980s NYC Street Culture Docs Capture The Cool, Even In These Trailers (Videos)

Two 1980s NYC Street Culture Docs Capture The Cool, Even In These Trailers (Videos)

New York City has long been an epicenter for culture. From music, to fashion, to art, the five boroughs and beyond have influenced the world near and far. In the 1980s, the Big Apple was especially influential. Two documentarians of the era are Jamel Shabazz and Manfred Kirchheimer. Shabazz, a... Read more
December 4, 2015 Throwback, TV/Film, Video
A New Report Details The Number of Platinum Hip-Hop Albums By City

A New Report Details The Number of Platinum Hip-Hop Albums By City

As far as music is concerned, a musician's hometown can be as heavy an influence in the development of one's sound as is talent. In many respects, the world can be carved up into musical regions, with borders based on native sounds as distinctively clear as the geographic markers like... Read more
November 10, 2015 Lifestyle
Necro, Vinnie Paz & Immortal Technique Take Hip-Hop Back To Its Essence (Video)

Necro, Vinnie Paz & Immortal Technique Take Hip-Hop Back To Its Essence (Video)

Remember when hardcore MCs were at the forefront of Hip-Hop? Necro, Vinnie Paz and Immortal Technique are bringing Heads back to those days with their new music video for "Take HipHop Back." Filmed in New York City, the video features all of the Hip-Hop elements: MCing, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti.... Read more
November 10, 2015 Video
Gentrification Is Giving the Boogie Down New Meaning & Not Everybody’s Feeling the Message

Gentrification Is Giving the Boogie Down New Meaning & Not Everybody’s Feeling the Message

For decades, just the name "South Bronx" conjured up images of inner city turmoil, with all of its abandoned buildings, overcrowded schools, high crime rates, and a disproportionate level of poverty and its side effects - lack of access to healthy food, healthcare, and jobs. In fact, films like "80... Read more
November 2, 2015 Lifestyle
Afrika Bambaataa Will Receive a Lifetime Achievement Award For Helping to Birth Hip-Hop

Afrika Bambaataa Will Receive a Lifetime Achievement Award For Helping to Birth Hip-Hop

Considered to be the Godfather of the culture, Afrika Bambaataa blazed a trail through the New York city club scene during a time when the city's youth culture was experimenting with what would become Hip-Hop (a term credited to Bambaataa). His contributions to that landscape are being recognized by the... Read more
October 27, 2015 Lifestyle
Today Is Harold Hunter Day. Remember The Skate Icon/”Kids” Star Through This Compilation (Video)

Today Is Harold Hunter Day. Remember The Skate Icon/”Kids” Star Through This Compilation (Video)

Harold Hunter epitomized 1990s New York City cool. A feature actor in Kids, Hunter is best remembered for his skate style, grit, and sense of humor. He would go on to be a primary figure helping launch the Zoo York brand. In 2006, at the age of 31, the East... Read more
October 4, 2015 Lifestyle
36 Years Later, The Warriors Take Their Last Subway Ride Home. Can You Dig It? (Video)

36 Years Later, The Warriors Take Their Last Subway Ride Home. Can You Dig It? (Video)

A lot has changed in New York City since Walter Hill filmed The Warriors. While the Wonder Wheel remains, much of Coney Island has changed when standing on Stillwell Avenue. More than 35 years after the cult classic released, Rolling Stone filmed as cult fans organized "Swan" (Michael Beck), "Cochise"... Read more
September 25, 2015 TV/Film, Video
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